builtright3

Is there any estimating software that integrates with Chief yet or is it a better Idea to build it within Chief or not do it at all with Chief?

Found it! Thank You!

How do I get X11? I'm paid up with my SSA until march of 2020!

Thank you for the help! I'm still trying to wrap all this around my little pee brain so your input is very helpful. I'm organizing all my thoughts on paper so I can clearly see it. Takes time for this to soak in but I will get it eventually.

Plan View vs. Annotation Sets: Please let me know if I have this right or if it opens another question to anyone. This is the way that I’m figuring to use “Plan Views” to work with my needs: Annotation Sets are great in the way that you can set all your defaults to work together with your layer sets. So instead of coming up with a lot of “Plan Views” for presets I will still start with the annotation set and save the plan view as I’m creating a new plan. In this way I only have the Plan View that relates to the current plan I’m working with. So, in this way your Plan view set doesn’t get long and have a bunch of views you don’t need in your current plan. I’m assuming that when you save a Plan View that when you change the “Saved Plan View Specifications” as per the attached picture that it doesn’t change the Annotation set that I started with. Is that correct? Or is it still working off the setting’s in the annotation set? Are they completely independent of each other once you save the Plan View? Hope this makes sense. Any help or input would be much appreciated.

To bad they don't have a material region tool for the ceiling or vaulted ceiling like they do for the floor and wall.

Ya and i believe James-Hardie backer has the fire rating so we kill two birds with one stone. Unless I'm wrong?

Yes fire rating is required. Even if I did a wood ceiling I would have to still do the 5/8 type X drywall first with fire-tape. So that's why its a lot less expensive just to put a finish on the drywall and be done with it. And I could still do baton strips or Faux beams to dress it up if they want. Thank guy's that helped a lot!

I agree I like wood the best

I'm sorry, You must be misunderstanding me on the type of texture. I'm just says standard drywall with joint compound that you would do on the interior. Not "Tex Coat". Anyway it really doesn't matter we got off my original question. I have never used drywall on the exterior before as a finish product even if it is a porch covered ceiling. My question is; has anyone ever seen it before being used in this application? It is on the plans that i'm building a house on and I'm skeptical but the city approved it so maybe it will be fine.

I'm suggesting other finishes because I'm not a fan of doing drywall on the outside. The reason would be that its the least expensive way to go. I'm suggesting to do a nice 1x8 T&G painted or stained. Like this job I just did. This is IPE wood so I would suggest pine because it is a lot less cost.

Yes, Green Board, I'm assuming your talking about? Or is there another product I don't know about?

Or you can live in the fire safe areas along with the "Brown Cloud" (smog). LOL As much as I don't like the congestion of CA I love the weather and resources are unlimited! Mountains, lakes, oceans, deserts…. All close traveling distance

California Question I have a customer that wants to do drywall with a hand texture on his patio ceiling. I have seen it done in Parker Arizona on a river house but not much out here in California. Is that a no no or is it ok to do? The cover for the patio is actually the second floor above it. This is not my design

It is interesting hearing about different peoples opinions and from different areas of the country. If you really want to make the money in Architecture and/or Design (I say design because that is what unlicensed people call themselves) California is the place to be but as always California go's to the extreme with regulations and the homeowners pay for it. The cost for plans and permits and all the other red tape I find to be about 10 to 20% of the building cost. To me that is crazy! Before you would even begin a $100,000.00 job it will cost the homeowner 10 to 20k. I can handle 10% but anything more then that seems to be a total waist of money. Example of waist of money: The latest in the wonderful world of Whittier, CA is that before you can submit a plan to the building department for a room addition they make you pay a sewer camera guy to inspect your sewer line from the house out to the city lateral. The camera average cost is about 500.00 and the city charges you $280.00 for them to sit and watch the 10 minute long video of your sewer line. If they find damage to the line you have to fix it before you can submit plans to the building department for the work you want to do. Sewer line replacement or sewer liner cost start out at about 6k and go up from there. The job I am currently doing is 8k. And if the lateral out in the street (city property!) is damaged the homeowner pays for it and not the city! It gets worse: A contractor has to have a special license to work in the city street where the lateral is located and so there is another 6 to 20k depending on how far and how deep. If you decide to go with a liner thru the pipe its easier but more expensive unless you are doing it out to the lateral and that is were you save the money. But!, If a plumber ever comes out and jets that line in the future or runs a snake through it you can damage the liner. The inspection of your sewer line may not be a waist of money but the city fee of 280.00 is! Not only the Architects and designers can prosper from all this, the contractors can also if they play their cards right. General contractors can have their hand in all of it Ethical? You decide!

I agree with you but if its not required by the city only people with deep pockets will pay the high cost for a designer or Architect. You have to advertise it the right area's.

Thank you for saving me some time! I have my new plan template set up already. Very easy!

That's the part I have to figure out, is to set up my plan sets or views and to be tied into the right anno set. I haven't studied yet but if someone wants to shortcut me I would appreciate it. In other words: How do I tie it into what I already have set up?

Im already on it! Plan views are very powerful and easy to learn (maybe because I already have been using anno sets for some time and understand them). Looks like Chief did a nice job on this. I'm excited to start using plan views as soon as I start my new drawing tomorrow. I already see several benefits from switching over.

Thank you again! I'm pretty efficient with layers and anno sets but I can see how this new information could improve my production. I will study it further.

I totally get it! Thank you! I have one question: Can you give an example of when we might still want to use an Annotation Set? Or are you saying that there is no longer a need for them at all? That maybe they still exist because of us old school guy's that are still using them?

Thank You for clearing that up!

Very interesting concept! Great Video! I have a question: If I wanted to have the electrical plan and plumbing plan or foundation and framing (any of these) on the same layout page how would I do that if you are using this idea?

I would like to be a part of a group on line session if anyone wants to put it together. I would love to learn more about plan views. I like the group sessions because good questions come out of it.

I don't think it matters much as far as points but these guys are pretty generous to help. I know the program pretty well but most of them know much more than me and make me feel really dumb sometimes. I hope solver helped with your answer!